Does experience matter?
You might not agree with our conclusions, but they are based on over 200 years of combined experience…
Gear of the Year – 4WD Equipment 2011 – Overland Awards
The overland market is growing at a rapid pace, which is providing for innovation and a wide range of new products. As a result, the team at Expedition Portal has started an industry award, Gear of…
4wd of the Year – International
What is the best overland vehicle in the world?
They’re Cutting State Parks – Defend What’s Yours
We typically don’t mix with politics – but this is too important.
Please visit this site before it’s too late.
http://www.calparks.org/defend/
How To: Reseat a Tire Bead on a 4WD
Reseating a bead can be more than difficult if you don’t know what you’re doing. Gain some valuable information here before you have to perform in the field.
La Aduana: 1990 VW Golf Country 4×4
via West County Explorers Club: What happens when a 4×4 makes love to a Rabbit? You get the VW Golf Country 4×4. According to an older Bring a Trailer article, only 4000 of these were ever…
VOTD: In Asia, Episode 4: Cambodia
In mid-December I wrote about Vincent Urban and Clemens Krüger’s on-going Vimeo series, In Asia, the first three parts of which had already been posted. The series documents the sites seen by the two filmmakers and a friend as they traveled on a two-month journey in a Land Rover Defender through Southeast Asia in the Fall of 2010. I’m happy to report that Part 4 has just been released. It covers mostly Cambodia.
Clink the vimeo link in the video for Vincent’s notes and descriptions. Enjoy.
To find the others in the series, see the links below:
Why the Land Cruiser is the worst selling SUV in America
Land Cruisers are classic and authentic, and have always placed an emphasis on durability and capability over luxury and domestic ‘functionality’.
Andorra – Europe’s Mountain Kingdom
Driving a Suzuki Jimny on an Old Smuggler’s Route Through the Pyrenees.
VOTD: Riding a Tandem Bicycle Through the Egypt Revolution
Another exceptional entry from our on-going video contest. In the Middle of the Egyptian revolution Dominic takes his tandem to Tahrir Square and invites Egyptians to join him on a 2600 mile adventure around the entire country.
VOTD: Barstow to Vegas Dual-Sport Ride
via West County Explorers Club: The 2011 AMA District 37 Barstow to Vegas Dual-Sport event took place at the end of last month. Here’s a nicely documented and narrated recap of the 2009 event.
The two-part video is about an hour long and is a little slow to get going but there’s some great footage of guys on BMW R1200GS and F800GS bikes working their way through sandy, rocky canyons, dry river sand washes, and some fantastic flat-out desert riding, including the use of a roll chart for navigation.
Part 2, around 14:45 even shows a guy jumping his big GS over berm.
Here’s Part 2: http://youtu.be/qvgqL0-b83U.
And here’s a link to the event, in case you’d like to take part next year: http://www.labarstowvegas.com.
2011 SUV of the Year – North America
The 2011 Expedition Portal Overland Awards
4wd SUV of the Year – North America (US and Canada)
Best of ExPo: Leica M8.2 Safari
The Leica M8 is one of the most elegant and captivating digital cameras available to consumers today. If there was ever an ExPo version, this is it (despite the $10,000 price tag).
Review: The Mypressi Twist – Portable Espresso Anywhere!
A Review by Kelsey McLaren
Three Jeeps, six people, and great espresso all in the most remote point in the lower 48 states – it’s possible.
Celebrating 40 Years of Four Wheel Campers
A Tour of the New FWC Production Facility
VOTD: VW Beetle, Antarctic Overlander
via West County Explorers Club: What vehicle did the overland-savvy Australians take with them on a year-long research expedition to Antarctica in 1963? A Land Rover? A Toyota Land Cruiser? No, they took a practically bone-stock VW Beetle.
It looks almost comically unassuming next to the hard-core Swedish Snow Trac seen in the background of one of the shots in the film but the humble Beetle reportedly held its own against the harsh, icy terrain.
There you go, the Type 1 Beetle. The most popular car in the world and the first production car on the Antarctic continent.
Spotted: 1941 Ford GPW “Jeep”
This jeep carries 48-star flag from days before Hawaii and Alaska joined the union.
VOTD: In Asia
Via West County Explorers Club: My friend Greg just sent me a link to this outstanding travel video by Munich-based freelance filmmaker, Vincent Urban and Clemens Krüger. Part 1 of a five-part series, it shows three friends traveling through southeast Asia in a Land Rover Defender 110. There is hardly any narration, hardly any dialogue. Moments of the trip are just strung together like memories. It’s beautifully shot and edited and gets to the heart of why we all travel.
The first three in the series are already on Vimeo. See Part 2 here and Part 3 here.
Thanks for the tip, Greg!
Overland Journal: Air Compressor Test
Jonathan Hanson takes an in depth look at several of the best compressors
Video of the Day: Off-road Ukraine
via West County Explorers Club: Here’s a recent Vimeo find documenting what appears to be a group of Czechs on a 2008 off-road expedition in the Ukraine. It looks like they had a great trip. And I like the video.
Just be careful about driving over those winch cables guys. Oh, and Smokey the Bear says to clear a five-foot-radius ring around that campfire but other than that, nice one…